Anthony Yarde’s bags didn’t arrive when he touched down in deep, dark Russia – hardly an ideal start to a week which will conclude with a fight against Sergey Kovalev, an opponent so vastly more experienced and accomplished it is almost ludicrous.

And this is the intrigue behind a WBO light-heavyweight title fight pitting a Brit who has never fought 12 rounds and who has never fought an opponent that you've heard of against a Russian called 'Krusher' who is a three-time world champion and has boxed some of the sport's all-time greats.

What does Yarde know that the rest of us don't?

To apply logic to this fight is to completely rule out any plausible way that Yarde can win yet he has accepted his first world title opportunity when there was no pressure for him to do so, in the champion's home town that also happens to be a 10-hour flight east.

Kovalev has been stopped twice but retains his fearsome power

Yarde has 17 KOs in 18 fights

There is a contagious confidence from Yarde and his trainer Tunde Ajayi, the man who calls himself 'the master genius' and insists that Kovalev, for all his accolades, is ripe to be picked.

What we don't know about Yarde far out-weighs what we do know.

The east Londoner is 28, unbeaten in 18, and has knocked out every opponent except one (in a four-round bout). He had only 12 amateur fights (Kovalev had 213), and only half of Yarde's pro opponents have won more fights than they have lost.

Kovalev, by contrast, is three years removed from a serious argument that he was the best boxer on the planet. He had notably beaten Bernard Hopkins, Nathan Cleverly and Jean Pascal twice.

This was before he first met Andre Ward in late-2016 in a battle of unbeaten world champions at the peak of their powers - Kovalev had a decent shout that he won that fight. The judges saw it differently and Ward left no doubt in a comprehensive rematch thumping, a pair of fights that meant Kovalev tumbled from world-beater to also-ran in the eyes of many.

A year ago Kovalev was knocked out by Eleider Alvarez in a surprise result that might have ended his career. By this time he had ditched long-time trainer John David Jackson, hired Abror Tursunpulatov and now employs Buddy McGirt. He escaped from a terrible car accident and discovered faith in a Greek monastery.

Just when it looked like things were unravelling for Kovalev, he avenged his loss to Alvarez in a rematch earlier this year. Even if he is declining, that is still better than most boxers' ascents.

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Lomachenko prepares in a kayak to face Campbell!

Lomachenko prepares in a kayak to face Campbell!

Fight week! 🔥 @Filip_Hrgovic is back in action this Saturday night. Last time out he knocked out his opponent in just 1 minute 💥

Interestingly Kovalev, if he wins this weekend, has been identified as a suitable opponent by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez - the Mexican superstar would go up two weight divisions for that fight, so must see chinks in the Russian's armour. Canelo, one of boxing's biggest names, will skip his usual fight date on Mexican Independence Day next month in part to await Kovalev - it would be staggering if those plans were ruined by a boy from Bow.

Which brings us back to the confidence of Yarde. Unlike Kovalev in recent years, Yarde has blind faith in his trainer Ajayi who has been called "deluded" for the brash promotion of his fighter. Ajayi utilises novel ways of training which go against the grain. He doesn't like sparring or running. He sees something special behind-closed-doors at the Peacock Gym in Canning Town in Yarde.

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Their willingness to challenge Kovalev in Russia so early in Yarde's career is commendable bravery and ambition. If he pulls it off, it would rank alongside the greatest victories of any British boxer on foreign soil.